One Love to Rule Them All
by DustLight126
Summary: Frodo and Ellie have always been best friends, but when their underlying romance blossoms, complications arise. And it seems that not even the most devoted of lovers can evade the influence of the ring. Could they be the very thing needed to see the other through the journey? Will their love prevail over evil, or be the Fellowships downfall?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note-

Hello everyone and welcome to my first ever fanfic! After recently watching the movies and beginning to read the books I decided to start writing a love story for Frodo, since nearly every other character gets a love interest. This first chapter is set around 3 years after Frodo's parents die, so Frodo is nearly 16 and Ellie has just turned 15. It is also set in the time line laid out in the movie to keep things simple. Anyway, I'll shut up now. Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer:

With the exception of Ellie who is my own original character, I own none of the characters or places mentioned in this story, all credit for that goes to the wonderful J.R.R Tolkien.

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><p>Chapter 1- "Come on Frodo!" Ellie called as she raced down the hill towards the water. "I'm...coming!"Frodo panted back, exhausted from the steep climb up the hill Ellie was now hurtling down. It was a warm summers day in the Shire and the two young Hobbits were making their way to the lake, just as they always did on such summer days.<p>

"**Looks like I win, **_**again**_**." Ellie grinned as Frodo rolled to a stop in front of her feet at the bottom of the hill, having tripped and tumbled the rest of the way down. "That's because you had a head start, **_**again**_**." he grumbled indignantly as Ellie helped him to his feet. "Where are your manners Mr. Baggins?" she responded in a shocked tone, trying with difficulty not to laugh, "If I remember correctly it's always **_**ladies**_** first, not, **_**ahem**_**, **_**gentlemen**_** first." "Is that so, Miss Cotton?" Frodo replied, a mischievous grin now playing across his lips as Ellie eyed him suspiciously, "Then you can go in the lake first!" and as Ellie turned to run he caught her around the waist from the back, hauled her to the ridge at the water's edge and dropped her in the lake.**

**But before so much as her toe was wet, Ellie had devised a plan. She was a bit of a practical joker and loved a good laugh, even at her own expense, so as soon as she hit the water Ellie kicked off and swam towards the small jetty about 10 feet away, being careful to stay towards the bottom of the lake. **

**Despite the fact that the majority of Hobbits disliked the water, both Ellie and Frodo were very strong swimmers. When they were small children Frodo's parents would them to the lake and teach them to swim at least once a week. Although this wasn't normal practice for Hobbits, Frodo's parents hadn't exactly been normal, and neither was Frodo for that matter. His parents had died when he was just 12 years old in a boating accident, and boating was definitely not a common pass time for many Hobbits. **

**As Ellie resurfaced under the jetty, she could hear Frodo frantically calling her name and it wasn't long before he jumped into the water and began to wade out into the middle of the lake. As quiet as she possibly could be, Ellie slipped under the water and swam towards Frodo. When she was no more than a foot from him, Ellie jumped from the water. Frodo was completely caught off guard and slipped on a lose stone in his shock at the sudden reappearance of his best friend. He had only been under for no more than 2 seconds when Ellie grabbed his hands a hoisted him back the surface coughing and spluttering in shock and anger. **

"**You...should...have...seen...your...face!" Ellie gasped between peals of laughter. "I don't know what's wrong with you Elanor Cotton, but I don't ****find it funny when I think my best friend's just drowned on my account!" Frodo snapped back. Ellie stopped laughing immediately and wanted to kick herself for being so stupid. How could she have forgotten that this was the very same lake in which Frodo's parents had drowned? She was the one he had gone to first on that awful night they had pulled his parents lifeless bodies from the lake. She was the one who held him all night as he cried for his parents. She was the one who had stayed with him through it all, and she had been his best friend since they were 5 years old. And after 10 years of friendship, Ellie wasn't going to let him go without a fight.**

"**Frodo, wait!" Ellie called to him as he hauled himself out of the water and walked back up the hill. But he paid no attention to her as he continued up the hill and kept walking, even when she started to cry. Ellie hadn't given up yet and as soon as she had pulled herself from the water she began to run after Frodo up the steep hill. Frodo could hear her coming up the hill behind him but he didn't care, he wasn't speaking to her anymore. But before he could reach the top, Ellie stopped, drew in a deep breath and shouted, "FRODO BAGGINS STOP RIGHT THERE!" as loudly as she could muster from her small lungs. **

**Frodo jumped on the spot, surprised at the sudden outburst and that Ellie could make so much noise. As he turned to face her he barely had a second to register what was happening before he was knocked to the ground with his arms pinned to the grass beside his head and Ellie hovering over him with tears flowing down her face. "I'm**_**. Sorry**_**." she choked, her tears now cascading from her eyes. **

**As he watched her cry, Frodo's anger melted. How could he have been so horrible to her? He knew Ellie had a good heart, and although she was a little scatterbrained, she would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially her best friend. After all, she was the one person who had been there for him when his parents had died, and Frodo didn't want to lose her.**

"_**I'm**_** sorry Ellie," he whispered, then his lips slowly forming grin, "please don't throw me back in?" **

**Half laughing, half crying, Ellie rolled on to her back to lie next to Frodo. For a few minutes they both closed their eyes against the sun and lay there, listening to each others quiet breathing and the gentle breeze blowing over the grass. After a few minutes Frodo could feel Ellie looking at him. Thinking a staring competition would be fun, he moved his head to face her and opened his eyes. **

**Frodo wasn't expecting what happened next but when he looked at Ellie, his breath caught in his throat. He had always known Ellie was very pretty, in fact, it was common knowledge in the Shire that Ellie and her cousin Rosie were the prettiest girls for miles but he'd never fully appreciated it until now. **

**Ellie had long auburn hair that hung in loose curls down to her waist and it glowed a fiery copper red in the sunlight, an incredibly uncommon hair colour for any hobbit and possibly even more so than fair hair. She had large electric blue eyes that always seemed to glow with mischief, a small button nose with a smattering of light brown freckles across the middle of her nose and just under her eyes and slightly tanned skin with warm rosy cheeks.**

**In the strong sunlight her features were thrown into sharp relief, making her seem more lovely than ever. While there had always been rumours that her family was somehow descended from elves, but Ellie knew this was no more than an old wives tale.**

**While she hadn't been anticipating Frodo catching her staring, Ellie found it difficult to look away quickly and he seemed to have trouble doing the same. **

**Ellie had always thought her best friend had been quite handsome, but had never really thought about just how much until now. He had dark brown curly hair, fair skin and the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. Her other friends had always been quite jealous of her, as Frodo was often the object of many young hobbit girls desires in the Shire.**

**After around 10 seconds of being lost in thoughts of each other, they both realised their gazes were still firmly locked on one another. Almost instantaneously, they looked away and their cheeks flushed with chagrin at having been caught by the other. **

**They lay next to each other for 5 more minutes, finding it too awkward to say anything until Ellie's mother could be heard calling her.**

"**Fantastic." Ellie groaned and got to her feet, brushing the grass that had stuck to her slightly damp dress. Despite having been soaked through, they were both nearly dry from the heat of the afternoon sun. "Come here," Frodo laughed as he stood up, "you've got grass in your hair." **

**Ellie didn't dare move as Frodo's gentle hands begin sweeping down her hair and it wasn't long before she had goosebumps all over her body. She was confused. This wasn't the first time Frodo had ever touched her but she'd never reacted like this before, ever. **

"**Ellie?" Frodo's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she realised she'd been standing there staring gormlessly at nothing for a while. "Day dreaming again, were we?" he teased with an amused look on his face. "No..." Ellie mumbled as her cheeks flooded with colour again. She could hear her mothers voice calling her again, but getting closer this time.**

"**Same time tomorrow?" Frodo asked with a grin. "Wouldn't miss it." Ellie smiled back.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-**

**17 years later...**

** It was the day before Bilbo's 111****th**** birthday party and the place was in uproar. Everyone was up to their eyes in preparations, and the Cotton household was no exception.**

** Ellie was in the kitchen with her mother helping her bake. As she was widely recognized as being one of the best cooks in the Shire, Primrose Cotton had been commisioned as head baker for the party. This was quite a large feat for any Hobbit and naturally, she was beginning to become stressed.**

** "Elanor! Stop dilly-dallying and bring me the flour! Quickly!" she bellowed, pulling Ellie from her day dreaming. She hated baking, and wasn't very good at it either, but she had been promised a new dress for the party if she helped, and Ellie really did need a new dress.**

** "Sorry mother..." Ellie mumbled as she passed her the flour. "Really Elanor, you'd think you'd have a bit more concentration than that if you really wanted that dress." she muttered crossly. "Sorry mother..." she mumbled again. As much as Ellie wanted to, she knew the witty remark that came into her head would only infuriate her mother further, and Ellie definitely knew better than to cross her mother when she was already so worked up.**

** A knock on the door saved her from a scolding about repeating sentences. "I'll get it!" Ellie said quickly and nearly knocked her chair over in her haste to leave the stuffy kitchen. She flung the door open and was greeted to the sight of her best friend leaning against the door frame, his blue eyes sparkling with humour and a huge grin on his face. **

** "Day dreaming again, were we Elanor?" Frodo laughed. "Eavesdropping again, were we Frodo?" Ellie retorted, trying not to laugh while looking stern. As hard as she tried, Frodo's laugh was infectious, and soon they were both laughing.**

** "Elanor!" her mother called, "What are you giggling about?" she questioned as she strode furiously from the kitchen. Primrose stopped short when she saw Frodo standing in the doorway and her lips instantly formed a strained smile. **

** "Oh, hello Frodo dear," she said, attempting to keep her voice polite, "Is there something wrong?" Trying to maintain a straight face while Ellie stifled her giggles he answered equally politely, "Oh no Mrs. Cotton, I was actually here to see if I could borrow Ellie for a bit." Primrose's smile became even more strained, "I'm sorry dear, but I really do need Ellie to help me out in the kit..." but before she could finish her sentence Frodo cut in, "I won't keep her too long Mrs. Cotton, I just need some help with decorations and stuff." he bluffed, giving Ellie a small secret wink which caused her to fight even harder not to laugh. As ****Primrose opened her mouth to argue, Frodo quickly added, "And I'm sure I could get my uncle to send you some help" **

** Primrose thought about this for a moment or two before finally relenting. "All right," she sighed, "but I'll need that extra help now if you don't mind Frodo." "I'll go speak to my uncle now." Frodo nodded, turned to Ellie, smiled and began to leave.**

** "Elanor!" Primrose called to her daughter again as she turned to leave, "back by dinner time, NO exceptions." And after fixing Ellie with a stern gaze swept back to the kitchen.**

** Frodo and Ellie had to run from the house and had barely reached the gate before exploding into fits of laughter. "Shhh!" Ellie pleaded between giggles, "She'll hear us!" "What's this?" Frodo exclaimed in a shocked voice, "The fearless Ellie Cotton, afraid of her ****_mother?_****" **

** Still laughing Ellie grabbed his hand and pulled him into a run. They tore down the path towards the small forest at the bottom of the road and began darting through the trees. **

** It didn't take them long to find the spot they were searching for. Besides the lake, it was one of their favourite places to go and escape from the rest of the Shire. Frodo was the first to reach it, being the faster runner he nearly always won these races.**

** Frodo skidded to a stop just on the outskirts of their hiding place, breathing in the scent of the wood. It was a large circular clearing surrounded by the trees and easily let the sunlight shine through. The grass was covered with the wildflowers that bloomed in the forest and although it was mid September there was still a large amount of them covering the forest floor.**

** Despite an extra 17 years of maturity, Ellie still loved to play pranks on people and Frodo was no exception to her antics. Moving stealthily between the trees until she had a clear run at him, Ellie lined herself up, ready to attack like a hunter on it's prey.**

** "Ellie?' Frodo called. Despite being used to her tricks by now, he never really could tell what she was going to do next. Scanning the trees for a glimpse of Ellie, Frodo began to walk towards the far end of the clearing thinking he'd seen her. But Ellie was on the other side of the clearing and seeing her opportunity ran silently towards Frodo, who still had his back turned to her. She lunged at him, managing to knock Frodo to the ground and bringing herself down on top of him as well.**

** As Ellie rolled of his back Frodo rolled over and sat up, completely dazed. "How is it that after knowing you for nearly 28 years I still end up being knocked to the ****ground by?" he asked, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's because I'm smarter than you" Ellie teased, amusment lighting up her eyes. "Intelligent and beautiful? You've some luck." he teased back before fully realising what he'd just said.**

** Ellie's eyes widened in surprise, "You think I'm beautiful?" she whispered. Although this wasn't the first time she'd been told she was beautiful, it was the first time Frodo had said anything of the sort to her.**

**Suddenly, she remembered the conversation she'd had with her cousin Rosie only yesterday:**

**"Just tell him Ellie!" she encouraged with a giggle, "Or I will!"**

**"I can't Rose," she groaned "I don't think he likes me in that way anyway..."**

**"Oh please, have you seen the way he looks at you?" Rosie exclaimed, giggling even more.**

**"What do you mean?" Ellie frowned at her cousin.**

**"I mean that when you're not looking he's always staring at you," Rosie explained, "and who can blame him?" she chuckled.**

**"You know Frodo isn't my friend just because he thinks I'm ****_pretty_****," Ellie answered hotly, "and he's never said anything like that to me."**

**"Maybe he's shy? I don't know Ellie, but I know for certain that he likes you!" she giggled again. "I could always get Sam to ask him..." Rosie winked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.**

**"No!" Ellie gasped, "Please don't do that Rosie!"**

**"Too late," Rosie grinned, "but I think you'll be quite pleased to know Sam told me Frodo's nuts about you."**

**"Sam told you Frodo...likes me?" Ellie squeaked. She couldn't believe it, after all this time...**

**"Yep," Rosie chirpped, "I don't think you've anything to worry about..."**

** While this had been playing through Ellie's mind, poor Frodo was trying to put together a coherent answer without embarrassing himself further. "Well...I, uh...I didn't mean...not that you aren't..." Frodo stammered as his face flooded with colour, completely lost for words and cursing himself for opening his mouth before thinking about what he was saying. But as he tried to think of something to say Frodo began to notice Ellie was getting closer and was staring at him with a meaningful look in her eyes.**

** Frodo knew what she was trying to do and his mind went into overload. He'd known for a long time he liked Ellie a lot more than a friend, heck, he might even love her (if he knew what it was). But he'd never had the courage to tell her, not ****wanting to risk rejection and ruining their friendship.**

** He knew this was his chance, Ellie seemed to want to kiss him, which probably meant she liked him too. With this reasoning, Frodo made his decision. Without hesitating any longer he began to move his mouth towards Ellie's. She was breathing quickly and Frodo could smell her sweet scent of strawberries. His heart hammering in his chest, he moved his hand to brush a few strands of hair from her face and Ellie let out a deep sigh when his hand brushed against her skin. Their lips were no more than inch from each other when the silence was broken.**

** "Frodo, my boy!" called Bilbo "I thought I might find you here..." Bilbo had stopped short at the other edge of the clearing when he noticed that Frodo wasn't alone. Embarrassed at being caught, Frodo and Ellie quickly broke apart and stared at the ground. Both of their faces had turned scarlet.**

** "Oh, emm...right," said Bilbo awkwardly, "your, eh, mother's looking for you Ellie, I sent her some help but she wants you back." He then turned to Frodo, "I need your help Frodo," Bilbo pleaded, looking flustered, "everything's gone topsy turvy and I really am too old to deal with this caper."**

** "I'm coming now, uncle." Frodo sighed as he stood up. "Right, I'll leave you two alone..." Bilbo mumbled and walked back into the trees.**

** Before Frodo could leave Ellie grabbed his hand and pulled him back, "Frodo," she whispered, biting her lip, "what does this mean for us?" Frodo couldn't help noticing the worry in her eyes.**

** "It means, Miss Cotton," he whispered back as he took her hand in his and brushed his lips against it, smiling up at her, "that this is the beginning of a whole new adventure."**

** Ellie smiled as Frodo lead her out of the forest and they followed after Bilbo back down the path, still holding each others hands.**


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note-  
>Hello everyone, and welcome back! This chapter took me longer than I anticipated but it's finally finished :) I do realise that this may not be as exciting as the first two and may drag a little, but it's important as it helps set up a major plot point that will be revealed (hopefully) in the next chapter. As I'm sure most of you are aware, school starts back next week and this year is a very important year for me as I'm sitting my GCSE exams at the end of the year. My studies will be my main focus and priority, and as I much as I would love it, there is no GCSE in fanfiction writing. My goal will be to upload a new chapter at least every two weeks. So, now that that's out of the way, here's chapter 3. Enjoy!<p>

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><p>"Oh Ellie, you look beautiful!" Rosie exclaimed delightedly as her cousin emerged from the bedroom. Having received the dress she was promised for helping, it was an understatement to say that Ellie was ecstatic.<br>The dress was made of pure white cotton, save for the silk midnight blue sash tied with a dainty bow around her waist and the end of the sleeves were trimmed with the same material, complimenting her blue eyes perfectly. The sleeves puffed out proudly and came halfway between Ellie's shoulder and her elbow. The heart shaped bodice had a layer of lace over the cotton and complimented Ellie's figure wonderfully. The skirt flowed from the waist out to the ground to cover her feet and had a delicate lace embroidery on the bottom of the skirt. Despite her mother's protests Ellie had left her hair down in it's usual loose curls. She knew Frodo liked it better that way.  
>Primrose stood in the hall with her husband, Will, with tears in her eyes. Although she was always shouting at Ellie, Primrose really did love her daughter. The only reason she was constantly scolding her was because she wanted her to do well. Many people wouldn't believe it even if Primrose told them herself, but she had been a day dreamer just like Ellie. But her mother had encouraged her to leave behind her fantasies and pursue her talent for baking, and if it hadn't have been for that encouragement, Primrose knew she wouldn't be the best baker in the Shire.<br>"Oh Elanor..." she whispered, trying very hard not to cry. "Mother, it's only a party dress." Ellie laughed. "Yes I know, but...oh come here!" Primrose grabbed her daughter and hugged her fiercely. "Careful my dear, you don't want to crease our Ellie's lovely dress," Will laughed, gently prising his wife off their daughter, "and it must be said that Rosie is looking very pretty too." he chuckled as he put his arm around her. "Thank you uncle Will." Rosie smiled and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Will was good to Rosie and had always treated her as his own daughter.  
>"Now my three lovely lasses, shall we go to the party?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes!" Rosie and Ellie shouted in unison and almost ran to the door. "Now girls," Primrose began, "don't get too over excited..." "Come now, my dear," Will interjected, "when was the last time something as exciting as this happened in the Shire? Let the girls get excited and have some fun!" he proclaimed, winking at Rosie and Ellie.<br>At that they set off down the path to the field. Rosie and Ellie skipped arm in arm in front of Will and Primrose and were first to reach the gate. "Hello girls!" Bilbo greeted them, "My goodness, you're both looking lovely tonight!" Rosie giggled and Ellie (with a small poke from her mother) thanked the elderly Hobbit. "Now let me see...ah! Frodo my boy!" Bilbo called to his nephew who was standing at the edge of the marquee nearest to the gate, "Could you show the Cottons to their seats please? There's a good lad."  
>"Yes uncle." he nodded "This way please." Frodo said, giving Rosie a small wink and grinning at Ellie. He led them to a large wooden picnic bench with small name cards at each seat with their names printed on them in gold ink and their birthday present sitting next to it.<br>Primrose received a large wooden spoon tied with a yellow satin bow and a note from Bilbo saying: 'To the wonderful Primrose Cotton, for without whose help I would be in a rather sticky situation, I present a spoon made of Lebethron in the hope that it will last longer than it's predecessor.' "This should last me a while." Primrose smiled as she read the note.  
>Will's present was a small golden pocket watch. It too had a note attached to it, saying: 'To Will Cotton, I present a pocket watch made of gold. I hope it will be of great use to you in helping you keep track of time.' "Just because I'm late once or twice..." he grumbled, but Will still seemed rather pleased with his present despite his apparent misgivings.<br>Next to her name card, Rosie had a small white box with a silver lid and a white lace bow tied around it. The note attached to it stated: 'To Miss Rosie Cotton, a beautiful gift for a beautiful girl.' When she opened up the lid inside was a small hair comb with a delicate butterfly perched on top encased in satin. The butterfly was made of different coloured pieces of crystal put together so that when it caught the light, it sparkled and caught everyone's eye. "Put it in my hair please Ellie!" Rosie squealed delightedly, but Ellie seemed to have been put in a trance by her gift.  
>Ellie's gift was in the same box as Rosie's and it opened to reveal two necklaces. Each necklace was made of a circle of silver with a small crystal, one blue and the other purple, placed at the top. Underneath the crystals was the word 'Mellon', which Ellie knew was the elvish word for 'friend', carved into the silver in minute silver italic swirls. Picking up the note attached to the box, Ellie read the swirling gold letters: 'To Miss Ellie Cotton, I present necklaces of friendship. May it be a reminder to you of the love you receive everyday from your friends and that it will continue to help you grow.<br>"I thought you'd prefer purple to pink." Frodo whispered in her ear, causing Ellie to jump. "You picked these?" Ellie whispered, still not able to take her eyes from the necklaces. "Well, I picked the colours and the word." he replied, a note of amusement evident in his voice. "You do like them, don't you?" he asked, his voice now suddenly sounding nervous. Ellie finally looked up at Frodo and saw a hint of anxiety behind his beautiful blue eyes. "Are you kidding? I love them." She smiled, much to Frodo's relief.  
>"So, what do I do with the other necklace?" Ellie asked, a hint of teasing in her tone. "You, uh, give it to whoever you see as your best friend." he replied, the nervous tone creeping back in to his voice. "Who do you think my best friend is?" she asked. "Uhhh..." Frodo hesitated, glancing at Rosie. Ellie followed his gaze to her cousin and a smile slowly formed on her lips, "It's you silly, now relax." she giggled. "Yeah, I knew that." Frodo smiled as he too began to laugh.<br>"Come here." Ellie said as she picked up the necklace with the blue crystal and placed it around Frodo's neck. Frodo then picked up the other necklace and placed it around Ellie's neck. She couldn't control the goose bumps that erupted over her skin when Frodo's hand brushed against her bare neck.  
>"Frodo!" Bilbo's voice could be heard calling from the gate. "I think I should go." he laughed and giving Ellie a quick smile headed towards his uncle and the group of guests standing at the gate.<br>"Elanor," Primrose said, "are you and that Baggins boy...involved with each other?" Ellie could feel her cheeks flooding with colour, "We're just friends mother." she responded hotly. "Not for long." Rosie muttered under her breath. Ellie glared at her cousin and opened her mouth to berate Rosie, but before she could make a sound the tinkling of cutlery being tapped against glass caught every ones attention. Looking up to the head table Ellie could see Bilbo rise from his seat and the elderly Hobbit began to speak, "Welcome, everyone, to my 111th birthday party!" At this the crowd began to cheer. "I hope you enjoy the night that so much work has been put in to. My particular thanks to Mrs. Primrose Cotton for, which I'm sure you'll all agree, the wonderful spread she has laid out for us tonight. Where are you my dear?" At this Primrose stood up to the rapturous applause of the party goers, gave a small curtsey and sat down, her cheeks distinctively pinker than before. "Now, let the festivities begin!"  
>At that moment a huge firework shot into the sky and emitted a loud bang as it exploded in a dazzling amber flame. The band then began to play the well known tune 'Flaming red hair.' It was a fast paced song and always a favourite for dancing at parties. Without hesitation, Rosie jumped to her feet and twirled around the dancers and was soon joined by Sam Gamgee, who Ellie saw had been pushed to his feet by Frodo.<br>Ellie watched the dancers move between each other. If there was one thing Ellie loved, it was dancing, and she was desperate to dance with someone.  
>As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Frodo suddenly appeared in front of her with his hand extended, "Care to dance, Miss Cotton?" he smiled. "I thought you'd never ask." Ellie teased as she took hold of Frodo's hand and they began to dance together with the music.<br>"Don't you look dashing in your suit." Ellie mused as they floated around the other dancers. "Not as beautiful as you look in that dress." he countered, his cheeks looking slightly flushed, and not (Ellie thought) from the dancing  
>"Frodo," Ellie said, forcing him to look back up at her, "we've been acting as though what happened in the forest never happened at all. Why?" "Come with me." Frodo said quietly. They both stopped dancing and Frodo lead Ellie off to a quite spot away from the party at the other end of the field. They stopped under a large willow tree that hid them from the sight of the other party guests.<br>"Frodo I..." Ellie began but could say no more because Frodo was now kissing her. She froze in shock. It had only been a small kiss, but it had been enough to cause Ellie to break out in goose bumps again. All she could do was stare at Frodo in shock.  
>"I shouldn't have..." he mumbled and began to walk away. Having recovered from her shock, Ellie grabbed Frodo's hand and pulled him towards her. "I love you" she whispered. Frodo blinked, and then his face broke into a wide smile, "I love you too." He placed his hands on her cheeks and pulled her towards him for another kiss. It started like the first, small yet sweet. But soon their kiss became more urgent and passionate, years of unspoken feelings of love and passion culminated in this one kiss.<br>Ellie couldn't help feeling disappointed when they broke the kiss off, but she did need to breath. Taking her hands in his, Frodo rested his forehead against Ellie's and inhaled her sweet scent of strawberries.  
>Frodo was the first to break the ensuing silence. "We should go back, my uncle will notice if I've been gone too long." "Do we have to?" Ellie complained. "Yes," he laughed, kissing her forehead, "let's go." and they walked back towards the party hand in hand.<br>"Frodo? Frodo!" Bilbo called to his nephew, "Quickly! It's the Sackville-Bagginses!" Frodo turned to Ellie, "Give me two minutes." he groaned and proceeded to usher his uncle from amongst the party goers.  
>Ellie turned around only to run straight into Rosie who had been standing behind her with a huge grin on her face. "Well?" Rosie giggled, raising her eyebrows. Despite her best efforts to keep a straight face Ellie was soon laughing along with her cousin. "I'll tell you everything later." Ellie grinned as she linked arms with her cousin.<br>The sounds of music and laughing hobbits was drowned out by a sudden bang as another firework shot into the air above them, but this one seemed to be covered by a tent. The tent was ripped to shreds as the firework exploded and a huge dragon swooped down on the now terrified crowd of Hobbits. Everyone dived to the floor as it flew over their heads and Ellie could see Frodo pull Bilbo to the ground just before it reached them.  
>As Ellie looked up she could see that the 'dragon' was now halfway across the lake. It then exploded in an array of colour and every Hobbit on the ground cheered and clapped. Not too far away, Ellie could see Gandalf taking what appeared to be a very dishevelled looking Merry and Pippin by the ears and dragging them away.<br>Ellie and Rosie took their seats again along with everyone else as Bilbo was called upon to make a speech.  
>"My dear Bagginses and Boffins!<br>Tooks and Brandybucks!  
>Grubbs!<br>Chubbs!  
>Hornblowers!<br>Bolgers!  
>Bracegirdles! And Proudfoots!"<br>After each name was called it was followed by loud applause from the respective family with the exception of Proudfoot, who indignantly called out: "Proudfeet!" much to the crowd's amusement. Bilbo waved his hand at him dismissively and continued with his speech.  
>"Today is my 111th birthday!" he proclaimed resulting in more cheers from the crowd. "Alas. Eleventy one years is far too short a time to live amongst such excellent, and admirable Hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." At this everyone looked at each other in confusion, trying to work out if Bilbo's comment had been a compliment or not.<br>Ellie didn't know if she was the only one who noticed, but she could see Bilbo take something from his pocket and hold it behind his back before continuing, "I have things to do." he said, "I regret to announce that this is the end. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell." Ellie saw his eyes move towards Frodo sitting in the front row and whisper something to him, which she guessed was 'goodbye'.  
>Before anyone could work out the meaning of Bilbo's mysterious speech he suddenly vanished before them. A collective gasp ensued from the shocked crowd as Hobbits jumped to their feet and began talking in an excited buzz.<br>But Ellie only had eyes for Frodo who was the only person who hadn't moved. As she made her way towards Frodo, Ellie caught snippets of whispered conversations,"Did you see that...What in the name of...Good heavens!"  
>"Frodo?" Ellie said gently as she knelt in front of him, worry clearly outlined on her face. The sound of Ellie's voice was enough to overcome some of Frodo's shock. Looking down at her he could see she was worried. "I'm fine...I'm fine." he half heartedly reassured her, "Bilbo had been talking about leaving for a while, but I never thought..." he trailed off in a now barely audible whisper for all the uproar caused by Bilbo's sudden and unexpected departure.<br>"Gandalf!" Frodo cried, jumping to his feet and nearly knocking over a now very bewildered Ellie. Pushing his way through the crowd, Frodo hurried to the tent designated for used dishes where he had last seen the wizard. "Pippin! Merry! Where's Gandalf?" he exclaimed. "He went that way...I think" Pippin offered, pointing in the direction of the tree Frodo and Ellie had been under not too long ago. "No, he went that way." Merry countered, pointing in the direction of the lake. "No," Pippin argued, turning to his cousin, "I saw him go that way." They continued like this for a while before Ellie interrupted them, "Merry, Pippin, where'd Frodo go?" The two Hobbits stopped, looked at her and at the same time shouted, "That way!" pointing in opposite directions. "Thanks guys." Ellie groaned as Merry and Pippin resumed their argument.  
>Turning to look for Frodo, Ellie spotted Rosie and Sam and headed towards them. "Rosie!" Ellie called as her cousin turned to face her, "Have you seen Frodo?" Rosie shook her head as Sam called back, "We've been looking for him too Miss Ellie, we were hoping he would have been with you." Sam now looked even more worried than before. "Maybe he's gone back to Bag End?" Ellie suggested as she reached Rosie and Sam. "It's worth a try Miss Ellie, but I think you best go alone to look." Sam suggested with a nod of approval from Rosie.<br>Ellie ran to the gate, ignoring her mother's calls for her to come back, flung it open and tore up the path to Bag End. As she reached Frodo's house she saw Gandalf exit through the door, a concerned look on his face. "Gandalf!" Ellie exclaimed, half delighted to see the old wizard again and still half worried about Frodo. "Ah, Elanor Cotton." Gandalf smiled down at her, "You haven't changed a bit, still as pretty as ever I see." he added kindly. "Thanks Gandalf." Ellie replied, blushing slightly, "You haven't seen Frodo have you?" she added quickly as he started to walk away. Gandalf's smile faded. "Yes, he's in there." he began, "But Ellie," Gandalf whispered to her, "keep an eye on him, won't you?" "Emm, yes Gandalf." Ellie replied uncertainly, wondering why in the world she would need to 'keep an eye' on Frodo. "Thank you my dear." Gandalf's smile had returned. At that he walked towards his waiting horse and cart and rode off down the path and into the night.  
>After watching him go, Ellie walked up to the door and knocked twice. When there was no reply she knocked again and called out, "I know you're in there Frodo Baggins!" A moment later the door swung open to reveal an apprehensive looking Frodo. "What's going on?" Ellie questioned as she stepped inside, "Where's Bilbo?"<br>"He's gone to Rivendell." Frodo said sadly as Ellie followed him into the kitchen. "He's gone to the Elves?" Ellie said, surprised at this revelation. Frodo only nodded in reply before sitting down at the table and staring at the floor.  
>"Hey," Ellie said gently as she sat opposite Frodo and took his hands in his, causing him to turn his brilliant blue gaze to her, "you're not alone. You've still got Merry and Pippin and Sam...and me." "I know." Frodo whispered.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note-

Hello everyone and a big welcome back! I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to update but school has been crazy and I expect it'll continue to be hectic for the next few weeks until I get the majority of my coursework out of the way. I'll still try to update as often as I can. So far this story has recieved 6 reviews, been put on story alert for 7 people and 4 people has added this to their favourites. WOW. A massive thank you and a giant cookie to each and everyone one of you! So, without further ado, I give you chapter 4. Enjoy!

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><p>A month had passed since the long expected party and the strange events of that night. Frodo had not seen Gandalf since, and he longed for an explanation for the ring. Although he had not touched the ring after putting it in the small chest in his hallway, it still seemed to call to him. It was hard to resist the temptation to retrieve it and open the envelope containing the ring every night, but resist Frodo did.<p>

Despite his efforts, Ellie had noticed something strange was happening. He had refused to tell her why Gandalf had left so suddenly, only saying that 'he had something else to do'. While yes, Ellie was definitely not the most observant of Hobbits, she wasn't stupid and seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting trouble. Never the less, she had accepted this vague answer and said nothing more on the matter.

Soon after Gandalf's sudden departure, Frodo had asked Ellie (with many a stutter and red face) to move into Bag End with him; a proposal she had immediately accepted with no hesitation. It was now a well known fact in the Shire that Ellie and Frodo were together, and the chance that her only daughter may soon be married to a rather wealthy man had made Ellie's mother very excited. At least once a week, Primrose asked her daughter the question, "Elanor, is there any sign of a proposal from Frodo yet?" But every time she asked, Primrose was always given the same simple reply, "No mother."

To be perfectly honest, Ellie was very happy with the way things were now. When she had been around 16 or 17, how often had she daydreamed about her and Frodo being together? They had always been the same simple fantasies: waking up every morning with Frodo lying next to her, being able to walk through the door and seeing Frodo sitting in the small study, sitting by the fire each night and talking with him, having him to welcome her home after a long night at the Inn. As time had worn on, these fantasies had drifted to the back of Ellie's mind as she had begun to give up hope that they would ever happen, but they had always managed to creep back to the forefront of her thoughts, usually when she was with Frodo. But now all her childhood fantasies had become reality.

It was like any other evening at the Green Dragon. Ellie and Rosie were working behind the bar and Frodo and his friends were enjoying rather large quantities of ale. Pippin and Merry had begun a slightly drunken song and dance atop one of the tables. Frodo collected the four mugs of ale from Ellie, winked at her with a large grin on his face and began to dance around the table Pippin and Merry were standing on.

"Hey, ho, to the bottle I go,

To heal my heart and drown my woe,

Rain may fall and wind may blow,

But there still be many miles to go,

Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain

And the stream that falls from hill to plain

Better than rain or a rippling brook...

Is a mug of beer inside this Took!"

Pippin proclaimed the last line before Merry could continue the song, and received roars of laughter from patrons and staff alike.

Frodo sat down at a table with Sam, the Gaffer and one of the Gaffer's many friends. Ellie and Rosie were kept busy serving drinks, but Rosie managed a coy smile at Sam when she caught him looking at her. It was closing time and Ellie and Rosie were making a last sweep of the tables. The Gaffer and his friend had left around an hour earlier; Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry were still sitting around a table laughing loudly and exchanging witty comments. Ellie came over to clear the mugs from the table and to get the boys on their way, 'Come on lads, I'd like to be home before the suns up if you don't mind.' she chided jokingly as she picked up their mugs.

'Awww, come onnn Ellie,' Pippin slurred, 'can't you make a 'ception for friends?' 'Nope!' she chirped back merrily, 'now clear on out before I call Ted Sandyman over to do the job for me.' Ted acted as bouncer for the girls on nights when unruly drunken customers refused to leave. Having had to be removed once or twice by Ted, Merry and Pippin weren't intoxicated enough to realise the consequences if they didn't leave. Bidding Sam, Frodo and Ellie a hasty goodbye the cousins staggered from the bar.

Laughing, Ellie and Rosie managed to clear out the remaining customers (with a little help from Ted). 'Do you want me to stay and wait for you?' Frodo asked Ellie in a quiet voice, 'Go on ahead, I shouldn't be too long anyway.' she replied, 'Besides, I think you should worry more about seeing Sam home than me.' Ellie added with a laugh. Frodo grinned, glancing at his friend who was staring intently at Rosie. 'I'll see you soon.' he said softly, giving Ellie a quick kiss on the lips.

Trying but failing to hide her smile, Ellie turned to start clearing mugs from the bar counter. Rosie was standing at the door cleaning a mug out as she made sure each patron completely vacated the premises. One very drunk Hobbit knelt before Rosie and began to shout in a loud voice, 'Good night, sweet maiden of the Golden Ale!' Rosie just smiled and laughed before Ted picked him up and firmly escorted him to the gate.

Finishing the dishes in record time, Ellie walked Rosie to her hole before biding her cousin a quick goodnight. Half walking, half running to get to Bag End, Ellie was greeted with the unusual sight of Sam Gamgee kneeling beneath the study window. 'Sam? What on earth...?' Ellie called before Sam silenced her with a finger to his lips. Making her way towards Sam she knelt down next to him and asked, 'Any particular reason you're sitting outside my house?'

'Well, I saw Mr. Gandalf walk in to your house and I, uh, wanted to say hello, but then I heard him and Mr. Frodo talking about...I'm not sure, but it didn't sound too good and I didn't want to interrupt...so...' he trailed off, shifting his weight uncomfortably. As he did so the flowers rustled and quick as lightning a long wooden staff shot from the window. Sam gave a cry of surprise and pain as he was hoisted up by large hands and pulled through the window.

Ellie heard Sam nervously conversing with Gandalf. Silently raising herself from the ground, Ellie crept towards the open window so as to better hear the conversation.

'No?' She heard Gandalf say, his tone half amused, 'Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you.' 'W-w-what do you want me to do Mr. Gandalf sir?' Sam stuttered. 'You will accompany Mr. Frodo on his journey to Bree.' Ellie froze in horror. Frodo was leaving, and he hadn't even told her? Her mind was in a dizzying whir of thought as she tried to process the fact that Frodo was leaving for an indefinite amount of time.

Forcing herself to move, Ellie ran to the door, flung it open and threw herself into the study. 'Please don't leave me?' she whispered, her voice thick with the effort of holding back her tears. Seeing that she was upset Frodo dropped his bag pack and took her in his arms and held her tightly. 'I won't, I promise.' he murmured in her ear.

'Can't she come too Gandalf?' Frodo pleaded, turning to the wizard. 'I hardly think it appropriate that Miss Ellie should be dragged into this too Frodo.' he chastised sternly. 'I want to go Gandalf, and I've been to Bree before.' Ellie countered, summoning her courage to dare to argue with the old wizard. 'She could help us on the way.' Sam added.

Gandalf's stern expression softened as he glanced at the three Hobbits in turn. 'I really don't like this...' he mumbled, then louder, 'Fine, Ellie can accompany you to Bree. But Frodo,' he warned, 'I won't be held responsible if things go wrong. Now, let's all get some sleep before tomorrow. You'll need your energy!'

Sam was offered one of the guest rooms for the night and quickly accepting this, he went to his hole to gather his belongings to take with him for the journey and explain to the Gaffer that he was going on a cross country trip. Gandalf had excused himself with no mention of where he would stay that night, only saying he would return early in the morning to wake them. Ellie didn't need to worry about such practicalities. The only thing she needed to worry about was explaining to her parents and Rosie that she was leaving. Ellie resolved to write them a brief letter telling them she and Frodo were going on a holiday of sorts that she would leave at the Inn for Rosie to find as they left.

Having done this Ellie made her way to the bedroom she shared with Frodo. He was already in bed, lying on his back with his hands beneath his head and staring up at the ceiling. He looked up when he heard the quiet click of the door as Ellie closed it and continued to watch her as she made her way to the empty space in the bed next to him.

Frodo automatically reached out and put his arm around her as Ellie curled up next to him and placed her hand on his chest, just over his heart, which he then covered with his own hand. For a few minutes they both lay there and listened to nothing but the sound of each others quiet breathing, such as they had done many years ago on the bank of the lake. 'Frodo?' Ellie asked in a voice that was so small Frodo wasn't sure if he had only imagined her talking. 'Mmm?' he responded, 'Why are we going to Bree exactly?' she questioned.

Giving himself a mental kick for forgetting this important detail Frodo thought quickly, 'Just to help Gandalf with delivering something.' he answered vaguely. 'And his Dwarf friends can't help him out?' Ellie laughed, recalling the stories of Bilbo's adventure. 'Somehow, I don't think Dwarves would be the best choice for this.' Frodo countered, amusement at the very notion of this absurd idea. 'So how long are you going to keep lying to me?' Ellie asked, suddenly sitting up. Frodo sighed and pulled himself up so that he was kneeling in front of her, 'Ellie I...' he began but was cut off by Ellie, 'Don't you dare Frodo. I know you're hiding something, don't think I haven't noticed that every time you think I'm not looking you go to that damned chest in the hall. I see you looking in it and pulling out that envelope. What's in it?' Although her voice had begun in a whisper so as not to wake Sam it had grown louder and louder so that by the time she was finished Ellie was nearly screaming at Frodo.

Frodo could only stare at Ellie in shock. It was too late by the time he had recovered and registered the fact that Ellie had marched into the hall, flung open the chest and begun hunting for the envelope. Scrambling off the bed and skidding into the hall Frodo encountered a bewildered looking Sam who had got up to see what all the fuss was about. Just over Sam's shoulder Frodo could see Ellie pull the envelope from it's hiding place in between two maps. 'Ellie don't!' he called to her in warning as she moved to open the envelope.

Ignoring Frodo, Ellie pulled at the corner of the envelope and tore off the side. Tipping it over her outstretched hand a plain but none the less beautiful ring on a fine silver chain slid onto her palm. It was heavier than it looked and Ellie's hand almost dropped on to her lap. All she could do was stare. The ring was a thick band of pure gold and it glowed from the soft light the small candles gave off from their holders on the wall. But the strangest thing was that the ring seemed to be talking to Ellie. It whispered to her, urging her to put the ring on her finger, just for a moment, to see what it would look like. It spoke to her, telling her that if she put it on her finger the ring would be able to do marvelous things for her. It could finally get Frodo to propose to her, it would make him stay and never want to leave her. It could make her the most beautiful Hobbit to ever have lived, even more so than Rosie and everyone in the Shire would fall at her feet and worship the very ground she walked upon.

The ring inched closer to Ellie's finger. 'Yes.' It called to her, 'Be mine!' It was snatched out of her hand by Frodo when it was less than a centimeter from her finger. 'No!' the feral snarl that erupted from Ellie as she lunged for the ring shocked even Frodo who took a quick step back causing Ellie to fall forwards. Managing to catch herself on her hands so that she was on all fours Ellie, breathing heavily, looked up into Frodo's horrified face. As the power the ring had held over her quickly faded, Ellie realised what had happened. Silent tears flowed down her face as she sat heavily on the floor.

Placing the ring in his pocket Frodo knelt in front of her, 'Ellie?' he said gently as he took her shaking hands in his. 'What...what is it?' she whispered, her eyes not moving from Frodo's pocket. 'That doesn't matter now.' he answered firmly as he lifted her to her feet. 'Sam?' Frodo turned to the Hobbit who had stood and watched the scene unfold in shock from the other end of the hall, 'Can you get a fire going in the kitchen?' 'Er, yes Mr. Frodo.' Sam answered, still looking taken a back.

'No, I'm fine.' Ellie said, stopping Sam in his tracks. 'I just need to sleep.' Although he was worried Frodo didn't put up a fight, Ellie was unnaturally pale and shaking uncontrollably and he didn't want to start an argument with her. 'It's fine Sam, just go back to bed.' Muttering under his breath, Sam turned around and retreated to his bed.

He led Ellie back into their bedroom and helped her into bed. Getting into bed next to her he put his arms around her and Ellie instinctively placed her head on his shoulder. It didn't take Ellie long to fall asleep and soon her breathing evened out. Frodo, however, didn't have as much luck and spent the next hour or so awake. The incident with the ring had scared him. Why did it have such a strong immediate effect on Ellie and not on him? Placing his head on top of hers and breathing deeply so that all he could smell was strawberries, Frodo fell into an uneasy sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note-

Hello there my lovelies :) A big thank you to all my reviewers and subscribers, it's people like you that keep me going! However, I would love more reviews so that I know what I'm doing right or wrong etc. So please do give me a review, even if it's a simple 'I love this!' or (as the case may be) 'I hate this!' but I'm sure that won't happen :P Now to ask you all a question: Ellie is deifinetely going to make it as far as Rivendell at least, but should she stay there or become the 10th member of the fellowship? Let me know what you think and feel free to give me other suggestions for what you would like to see in the story. Hope you enjoy chapter 5 as much as the last 4 :)

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><p>A soft hand gently stroked the side of Ellie's face causing her to stir. It was still dark outside and the only light in the room came from the candles on the bedside table and the dresser in the far corner. 'Time to wake up Ellie.' Frodo murmered in her ear stroking her hair. Giving her a small kiss on the cheek he moved off the bed and pattered down the hall to wake Sam.<p>

Stretching out and groaning from such little sleep Ellie's eyes slowly opened. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes Ellie sat up and ran a hand through her hair to pull it away from her face. Rubbing her eyes Ellie swung her legs round and set her feet on the ground. Swaying a little as she stood Ellie steadied herself on the bedpost and made her way to the dresser to get changed out of her nightgown.

Ellie knew a dress would not be the best choice of attire for the journey ahead so she chose a pair of dark brown trousers and a loose white cotton shirt that she tucked into the trousers. Having no need for shoes, Ellie made her way into the kitchen.

Frodo was in the kitchen and was packing as much food as they could possibly carry into small cloths. At the sound of her approaching footsteps he spun round. 'How do you feel?' Frodo asked cautiously as he eyed her warily. 'I'm fine.' Ellie laughed seeing the worry etched on Frodo's face. She grabbed an apple from the small bowl sitting in the middle of the table and sat down on the chair closest to her. 'Honestly, you worry too much.' Stopping and looking down, Frodo whispered, 'After last night I think I have good reason to worry.' He looked back up at Ellie whose face drained of colour at the memory of the events of the previous night.

Although she was fine now, the incident with the mysterious ring had scared her. As far as Ellie knew, rings don't talk to people and they certainley don't posses them. Ellie hadn't asked what it was or why it had had such a profound effect on her, and to be honest, she didn't want to know. She also had a feeling Frodo didn't want to tell her the whole story and for that she was thankfull.

'I think,' she began slowly, 'that as long I'm kept away from..._it_, then you won't need to worry.' Frodo looked at Ellie for a long time, as if contemplating something. After what seemed like an hour but was no more than half a minute, Frodo nodded and went back to packing the food.

Ellie's appetite left her almost as quickly as the colour in her face and she placed the apple back in the bowl. She rose from her chair and made her way back to the bedroom to finish packing her bag. Walking down the hall Ellie encountered a rather groggy looking Sam who suddenly seemed nervous when he spotted her. 'Er, good-good morning M-miss Ellie.' he stuttered, not quite able to meet Ellie's eyes. Simply nodding as she passed, Ellie continued down the hall to the bedroom, giving the chest containing the ring a wary glance and a wide berth.

Having no need other than to bring the essentials with them, Frodo and Ellie had decided to use one bag between them, which was sitting at the foot of the bed. Again, dresses would not be the best item of clothing to pack, so she took her 2 other pairs of trousers (one a dark green, the other a crimson red) and 2 spare white cotton shirts from the drawers and neatly folded them into the bag. Crossing over to her bedside table, Ellie picked up the necklace she had received at Bilbo's party. She still wore it everyday, as did Frodo. Picking it up from the small box she kept it in Ellie undid the clasp and fastened it around her neck before tucking it in under her shirt so that it rested just above her heart. Grabbing her hair tie she pulled her long auburn curls into a high ponytail to keep it off her face as they travelled.

'Ellie?' Frodo said as he poked his head around the door, 'Gandalf's here, we need to go.' A sudden panic rose in Ellie's chest and her heart started to beat a little faster. What was she doing? Now that it came to it, Ellie wasn't sure she wanted to leave. She felt comfortable and safe here in the Shire, and she had a strong premonition that what she was about to face was not going to be an easy task.

Noticing her hesitation, Frodo was by her side in an instant, 'What is it? What's wrong?' he asked, his voice filled with concern and slight panic. Giving herself a mental shake, Ellie made an attempt at what she hoped was a reassuring smile and gave Frodo's hand a gentle squeeze. She didn't want to give Frodo any reason to doubt his judgement of letting her come, and she didn't want to worry him any further.

'I'm fine, just thinking.' she replied brightly. Although he didn't look entirely convinced, Frodo accepted this with a slight nod. 'Got everything?' he asked, rummaging through the bag to check he hadn't missed anything. 'Should do, I just need to grab my cloak and I'm ready.' Turning and walking to the wardrobe she opened the doors and pulled out her favourite midnight blue cloak and put it on, tying it around her neck. From the corner of her eye, Ellie spotted the dress she had worn on the night of Bilbo's birthday and smiled at the memories it brought her.

Closing the wardrobe doors firmly, Ellie turned and followed Frodo from the room. Gandalf and Sam were standing in the hall already. Sam looked incredibly nervous and was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Gandalf, who had to bend over to prevent his head from hitting the ceiling, was looking down at the Hobbit with a highly amused expression. Hearing their approaching footsteps, Gandalf lifted his gaze in their direction. 'Ah, there you are!' he greeted them, 'Come along now, we're running late enough as it is!' At that, the wizard turned and stepped outisde into the warm early morning air and the three Hobbits followed.

The sun was only just beginning to rise, peeping over the hills and basking the Shire in a faint pink glow. It was beautiful to say the least, and Ellie stopped outside the door and savoured the sight, wishing she didn't have to leave it behind.

They made their way through Hobbiton silently, trying not to disturb the Hobbits that lay sleeping behind the round doors of their holes. When they reached the Green Dragon they stopped to allow Ellie to leave behind her letter and keys for Rosie. Producing them from her trouser pocket she opened the door and stepped inside, inhaling the familiar scent of alcohol and wood. The room was still exactly the way it had been left the night before with the chairs stacked in three neat piles against the wall opposite the bar. Crossing the room to the bar Ellie placed her letter on the wooden surface and put the keys on top of her letter.

Taking one last look at the Inn, Ellie turned and closed the door behind her firmly as it shut with a loud click of finality. She turned to see Frodo and Sam having a quiet discussion and Gandalf staring into the distance, his face thoughtfull. Clearing her throat to catch their attention, Gandalf turned to look down at her and a smile spread across his face. 'Ah, ready to go now?'

Simply nodding in response Ellie moved Frodo's side and they set off once more. Walking on until they reached the woods on the outskirts of Hobbiton they walked through it until Gandalf stopped in a spot very familiar to Ellie and Frodo. Glancing quickly at each other they both smiled at the memory of their last visit.

'This is where I must leave you, for I can go no further.' Gandalf anounced gravely, 'Be careful, the three of you.' he continued, eyeing each of them in turn. 'The enemy has many spies in his service, birds, beasts...' he trailed off and his eyes darted to Frodo who looked uneasy at the wizards sudden switch of attention. 'Is it safe?' he asked quietly and Frodo placed a hand on his chest where the ring lay on it's chain. 'Never put it on for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to it's power. Always remember Frodo that the ring is trying to get back to it's master. It wants to be found.' Gandald finished. Frodo gave a small nod to confirm he understood this and at that the old wizard mounted his horse and rode off.

After watching Gandlaf leave, Ellie, Frodo and Sam looked at each other; uncertain what to do now that Gandalf had left. Frodo looked immensly worried and Sam was glancing from Ellie to Frodo and looking like he didn't know what to do with himself. Determination flashed across Ellie's face, 'Right boys.' she chirped brightly, 'We'd better cover some ground before dinner time at least.' Frodo nodded and began to walk, determination set on his face. Sam just looked horrified at the prospect of walking with no food until dinner time.

Despite the burden of the task they carried, the three Hobbits found their journey surprisingly enjoyable in one anothers company. Ellie found that she came to appreciate Sam a great deal, his natural talent for story telling was immpecable and he easily kept his two companions entertained.

The trio had been walking for three days when they reached a large cornfield that expanded over so much land they couldn't see the end of it. Without warning, Sam abruptly stopped at the entrance to the path that lead through the cornfield. Ellie wouldn't have noticed and walked on had Frodo not grabbed her arm and prevented her from going any further. 'This is it.' Sam said softly, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground in front of him. Ellie and Frodo exchanged a puzzled glance before Frodo gently asked, 'This is what?' Finally looking up at his friends, Sam answered with some apprehension in his voice, 'If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.'

Frodo placed his hand on Sam's shoulder and gently urged him forward, 'Come on Sam.' After a moments hesitation, Sam placed one foot in front of the other and the party was under way once more. 'Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.' Although she knew it was Frodo speaking, Ellie couldn't help it when Bilbo's voice suddenly filled her head, as if he were there in person and speaking to them. She noticed Frodo must have had the same experience, for a ruefull smile was now on his lips and a sad look in his eyes as he thought of his uncle. Lacing her fingers through his and giving his hand a gentle squeeze, Frodo was pulled from his reverie of the past and looked down at Ellie. Giving her a quick smile and gentling squeezing her hand back, they continued on behind Sam who seemed oblivious to their small exchange.

They continued on that day until around 7 o'clock and decided to rest for the night. Finding a suitable area under a large tree, Sam immediatley set to work on the food. Lighting a fire and producing a packet of sausages, a box filled with mushrooms and a loaf of bread he placed the sausages and mushrooms on the now sizzling pan. Soon, the whole area was filled with the distinct smell and sound of meat cooking on a pan.

Having returned from collecting water in a nearby stream, Ellie volunteered to cut up and butter the bread, which Sam agreed to with a grunt. Frodo lounged on the thick branch that deviated from the trunk, forming a 'u' shape that allowed a Hobbit to sit on it comfortably. He was about to drift off when he was alerted to the etheral sound of Elves singing. Their song was haunting but none the less beautiful. He was able to immediatley assertain it was elves from the memory of one of his many walking trips with Bilbo and Ellie.

They had been on a road very much like the one they were travelling on now when they had spotted a faint blue glow slowly approaching them from further up the trail. 'Ah.' Bilbo had said, excitement tinging his voice, 'Follow me.' Ellie and Frodo had exchanged confused glances but followed never the less. It hadn't taken long for their bewilderment to turn to awe. Bilbo motioned for them to step aside to allow the Elves to pass by them. It was a sight Ellie nor Frodo forgot.

Ellie had heard the Elves too, and had stopped her work to sit and listen to singing. She glanced at Frodo whose face broke into a large grin when she caught his eye. Sam, however, hadn't noticed anything unusual and his attention was still focused on the food. 'Sam!' Frodo called excitedly to his friend who looked up with a puzzled expression on his face, startled at the sudden change of tone. Trying not to laugh at Sam's confused look he explained in two words, 'Wood Elves!'

Sam nearly knocked over the frying pan in his haste to get up and see the Elves. Ellie laughed at his child like excitement and got up quickly to follow Frodo and Sam up the small slope leading up to the main road. They settled themselves behind a small tree that had fallen over at the side of the road and waited for the Elves to pass, and they were soon rewarded. A large train of Elves came into view, some were on horseback and some were walking carrying large lanterns. They all had travelling cloaks draped around their shoulders that flowed to their ankles, just coming short of brushing against the ground. Their beauty and grace was unparalleled by another other creature in Middle Earth, but despite this there seemed to be an aura of sadness around them, like they were grieving a great loss.

'They're going to the Harbor beyond the White Towers. To the Gray Havens.' Frodo murmered quietly. 'They're leaving Middle Earth.' Sam said, comprehension flickering across his face. 'Never to return.' Frodo concluded. 'I don't know why,' Sam continued after a moments silence, 'but it makes me sad.' 'You're not the only one Sam.' Ellie whispered back.

After watching the Elves until they turned a corner that hid them from view, the trio made their way back to their camp to eat. After finishing their small meal (which Sam did not find satisfying) they settled down for the night. Exhausted, Ellie curled up next to Frodo and fell asleep instantly. The two boys, however, did not have such luck. After much tossing and turning, Sam became increasingly frustrated at not being able to get comfortable and began complaining, 'Everywhere I lie, there's a dirty great root stickin' into my back.' he grumbled. Having finally found a comfortable position, Frodo was now giving way to sleep and allowing it to drag him under. Not fully aware of what he was saying, Frodo attempted to soothe Sam, 'Just shut your eyes and imagine you're back in your own bed with a soft matress and a lovely feather pillow.' he replied dreamily. Tossing and turning for a further few mintues Sam began to complain again, 'It's not working Mr. Frodo. I'm never going to sleep out here.' Glancing down at Ellie's sleeping form lying next to him, her cheeks flushed from their combined body heat, Frodo shut his eyes and sleepily responded, 'Me neither Sam.' before sleep finally claimed him.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi again everyone :) I am so sorry for making you all wait so long for an update, I did intend to put this chapter up about two weeks ago, but school has been riddikulus! (Spot the Potterhead) Before I forget, everyone please say a massive thank you to , the website I use for the script. This chapters mostly just filler, and I promise a longer and better next chapter, but I do love the little bit at the start between Ellie and Sam and I shall now be quiet before I give anything away :)

Disclaimer: I still don't own a thing, except for Ellie of course.

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><p>The weak sun light breaking through the leaves in the large tree they were sheltering under woke Ellie. During the night she had repositioned herself so that her head lay on Frodo's chest and her palms rested on his steadily rising and falling chest. Frodo's arms were wrapped around her upper body, holding her tightly against him. Slowly opening one eye, Ellie could see that Sam was also awake as he was leaning against the tree trunk with his hands behind his head and staring up at the trees. She had a fair idea of what (or rather, <em>who<em>) he was thinking about.

Moving slowly and silently so as not to wake Frodo or alert Sam, Ellie sat up and tucked her knees into her chest before wrapping her arms around them and placing her head on top. 'You miss her, don't you?' Ellie whispered softly. Unaware that she was awake and watching him, Sam started and clutched at his chest, 'You gave me a right scare there Miss Ellie!' he gasped, 'Miss who? You mean Rosie? Not at all...' Sam feigned nonchalance but the colour rising in his cheeks gave him away. Ellie raised an eyebrow at him, 'Sam, I know I'm not very intelligent, but I'm not _that_ stupid.' she said, trying to keep her face straight at his horrified expression, 'How...how did you know?' Unable to hold it back any longer, Ellie began to laugh quietly, 'It's not hard to guess Sam.'

Going even redder, Sam spoke hesitantly, 'It's just that...well, you and Mr. Frodo get to stay together, and you get to come along, but Rosie wasn't even asked and now I have to sit and watch you two together and...and it's not fair!' Although his voice had started as no more than a quiet and timid whisper, it gradually rose to the point where he almost sounded hysterical and Ellie could only stare opened mouthed in shock at his sudden outburst. 'I...I had no idea, Sam...' Upset with himself, Sam cast his gaze towards the ground, 'Sorry Miss Ellie, I shouldn't have said that.' he muttered miserably, looking contrite.

Rising and moving swiftly to kneel in front of Sam, Ellie placed her hand on his knee, and he slowly raised his head to look at her, 'Sam, you know Rosie couldn't come with us.' she said softly. Then adding as an after thought, 'I think she'd miss her silk sheets and goose feather pillow too much.' Sam and Ellie started to laugh but this quickly faded to silence.

'I still miss her though.' Sam said wistfully. 'I know.' Ellie sighed. She knew how Sam was feeling, her bubbly and vivacious cousin had always been a part of her life, and now that they were suddenly seperated Ellie realised just how much she took her for granted.

'Did I miss something?' an amused voice called, breaking the silence. Ellie spun around on her heels to find Frodo sitting up and running his hand through his tousled brown curls while eyeing them with a small smile on his lips. 'Sam and I were just talking.' Ellie reassured him and moved to the bag containing their food to start preparing breakfast. After finishing their modest breakfast (by Hobbit standards) of leftover sausages and a few rounds of buttered bread, the trio packed up and moved on. It was eerily quiet on the roads, and no one, big or small, was to be seen on the solitary roads.

That day they reached Farmer Maggot's field. Staring at the vast expanse of farmland below them from the hill they were on a sense of unnease settled in each of their stomaches. Cutting through Maggot's crop would save them a considerable amount of time rather than keeping to the road and walking around it. But the grumpy farmer kept his yield well protected by two large and ferocious dogs that could easily outrun the fastest of Hobbits. From previous childhood experience, Frodo knew that Maggot usually didn't unleash his dogs until after midday. As it was by now only around 10 o'clock in the morning, they had plenty of time to escape the field without being detected and chased down by the dogs, but each felt increasingly anxious as they approached the fence that surrounded the perimeter of Maggot's land.

The fence had been built tall enough to keep Hobbits out, and as they stared up at it's vast wooden frame; despair and doubt soon joined their feelings of anxiety. It was a good 2 or 3 foot taller than they were, and all hope they'd had of being able to climb over had completely evaporated. 'We haven't a hope in hell of climbing this.' Ellie muttered, shaking her head. 'I think you may be right.' Frodo agreed, his mouth drawn into a thin line.

'Then what are we going to do?' Sam asked desperately, directing his frustration at the fence with a swift kick. To everyone's astonishment, the plank of wood moved backwards towards the field before swinging back into place again. Ellie pushed against the plank of wood next to the one Sam had just kicked and to her glee, she discovered that it reacted in the exact same way. Turning to look at Frodo whose eyes were alight with curiosity, Ellie grinned and proceeded to push the plank forward to allow herself to squeeze through the gap. After Frodo and Sam followed suit, they began to move south.

The silence in the fields, save for the gentle rustle of the plants in the slight morning breeze, was unnerving and made everyone jump at the slightest sound.

Determined to get out of the fields as quickly as possible, the trio marched quickly along the path towards what they hoped was the exit. Ellie and Sam fell into step with each other while Frodo walked on ahead. However, a sudden movement in the vegetation caught Ellie's eye and she pulled silently on Sam's sleeve to gain his attention. With a look of confusion, Sam turned to look at her before following her eye line and facing the direction in which Ellie was staring. 'What is it Miss Ellie?' he questioned after an uneventful silence. Ellie turned slowly to face Sam before admitting, 'I thought I saw something.' Sam furrowed his brow but decided not to pursue the matter any further. It was then that he noticed the absence of one vital party member.

'Where's Mr Frodo?' Sam asked, panic evident in his voice. Ellie's brow furrowed in confusion and worry and she stopped beside Sam as he began to call for Frodo. The sound of footsteps on the soft ground approaching from behind the corner they had just turned caught their attention. To Ellie and Sam's relief, a familiar dark haired blue eyed hobbit came into view, and upon seeing their relieved expressions his own turned to one of confusion. 'We thought we'd lost you.' Ellie explained. 'Why? What are you talking about?' Frodo asked, his confusion only deepening at what he thought to be a somewhat silly notion. 'It's just something that Gandalf said to us.' Sam explained. Curiosity quickly replaced confusion, 'What did he say?' Frodo asked, unable to refrain from asking. 'Don't you lose him, Elanor Cotton and Samwise Gamgee. And we don't mean to.' An easy grin broke out on Frodo's face, 'Sam, Ellie, we're still in the Shire, what could possibly go wrong?'

Apparently, a lot.

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><p>It was 5 o'clock in the evening when Rosie arrived at the Green Dragon to open up for the night. Having not seen Ellie all day and her parents being just as confused as to her where abouts, Rosie was curious as to why her cousin seemed to have dissapeared into thin air. There was no answer at Bag End and on top of it all, Sam was nowhere to be found either. Producing her key from her pocket, Rosie entered the bar. The last remaining rays of the evening sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on the room. Sighing when she realized Ellie wasn't there, Rosie moved to the store room at the back to retrieve her apron. Grabbing a nearby cloth Rosie began to wipe down the bar, only noticing the letter when she swiped it on to the floor. Confused as to why anyone would leave a letter on the bar, Rosie picked it up and was only confused further when she saw her name written in Ellie's flowing script on the front.<p>

The envelope was heavy and there seemed to be something sliding around in it. Putting her finger under the seal and tearing it open, Rosie looked inside to find a piece of paper and what she recognized as Ellie's keys to the Green Dragon and two other keys that she didn't recognize. Fishing the keys from the envelope and placing them on the bar, Rosie then pulled out the piece of paper. A smaller piece of paper adressed to herself and Ellie's parents had been placed in front of the larger one and Rosie read this first.

Frodo and I have decided to go travelling. We will be gone for at least 3 months. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before hand that we were leaving, but complications arose and we had to go before we could say goodbye. I hope you won't miss me too much, but I'll be back before you know it.

All my love,

Ellie

Frowning at the vague letter, Rosie picked up the larger piece of paper and began to read.

My dearest Rosie,

Please read the smaller letter first before reading this. I want you to give it to my parents, this is for your eyes only.

I want so badly to tell you why we had to leave so suddenly and with no real explanation, but for your own safety I can't. What I can tell you though, is that what we have set out to do is incredibly dangerous and we may not come back. Frodo was going to leave on his own, but I couldn't bear to be parted with him and I didn't want to him to face the journey alone. Sam has also come with us. Like me, he is not easily parted with Frodo. He sends you his love.

The only thing I ask of you, is to look after my parents while I'm gone. They love you like their own daughter, just as I love you like a sister. I hope your support will make my absence a little more bearable.

I have also left you my key to the Green Dragon and Bag End. Frodo has agreed to allow you to live there whilst we are gone. There is also a sum of money in the bottom of the third drawer on the right of the desk in the main study, the key for the drawer is the smaller of the two other keys on my keychain. The money should be sufficient to cover my monthly payments for the next few years.

I'll miss you so much Rosie. I wish with all my heart that you could have came with us, but I would never ask you to lay down your life for me as I have for Frodo. Not now, not ever.

All my love, now and always,

Ellie

'Ellie, I swear...'

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><p><strong>R&amp;R my dears :)<strong>


	7. Important authors note

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read this. Unfortunately, due to a combination of writers block and exam stress I have made the decision to take a hiatus until the end of January when my exams finish. While I had intended to publish chapter 7 before going on a hiatus it is now no longer an option. I apologise sincerely for this, and wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. See you all soon.

Love and thanks,

EllieCotton


	8. Author Update

Hello everyone,

This is a note to say that I am finally returning to updating my stories. I would like to apologise for what can only be described as an utterly ridiculous delay. I am very unhappy at the amount of time it has taken me to be able to start writing again, but there were some things beyond my control that prevented me from returning to the work I love so much. As my readers you are the people who take the time to read my work and for that I am truly grateful and so out of respect to you all I will briefly outline why I have failed so badly at updating my stories.

The main reason for my lack of progress were my GCSE exams, which I studied long and hard for. The exam period stretched over a total month and a half but I was preparing for them well before the May 14th starting date. They consumed a large amount of my time and severely limited me in being able to write anything. Coupled with my violin exam it was a stressful time.

Just two weeks before my exams were to begin my uncle unexpectedly passed away, shocking not only myself but my entire family circle. I was devestated at his death and was left emotionally and physically drained by the whole experience. It also left my in no fit state of mind to write any sort of material and so abandoned my attempts. I hope you can understand the significant impact this event had on me and my ability to write.

Two days after my exams finished I left for a two week family holiday, and while I was able to make some progress it was limited as we were regularly out sight-seeing and being your stereotypical tourists. After I cam back I had three days to recover before I began rehearsals at my local Opera House for our two week musical theatre project where we put together an entire West End/Broadway style show. As I'm sure you can imagine, many hours were invloved in making this possible and I was fully commited to performing to the best of my abilities. However, the last show has, albeit sadly, been performed and I now have nothing but free time. Hurray!

The next chapter is now being written and I expect it to be posted within the next few days. I know my excuses are poor but once again, I apologise sincerely for the delay and hope that you'll understand and forgive me for having had so many distractions. I look forward to returning to my work and updating more frequently. Thank you for taking the time to read this, it is very much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Rachel


	9. Author update 2

Hello everyone. So a few weeks ago I posted a note to say that I hoped to have the next chapter up very soon, but I now have to admit this will not be the case and so I have decided to place this story on an indefinite hold. For the last few weeks I have been trying to write just one chapter but have never been happy with the result and ended up deleting everything and starting over again and this process has been going on for some time now. My mind is definitely stuck in Narnia right now, and it's a long journey back to Middle Earth. I also feel it would be unfair to any of you who still wish to read this story if I was only producing chapters that weren't of a good standard. I absolutely intend to come back and finish this story but it will not be any time in the immediate future. Thank you for taking the time to read what has been posted to this story, all of your reviews and adding this to your favorites and alerts; I truly appreciate the time everyone took to do this. I hope to see you all again when I come back and update. Thank you, Rachel


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